Sirona (Sy) Dryope's Story

In the dark forest a nimble wolf stalked her prey. It was a small mouse but prey nonetheless. Suddenly she sprang forward, a welcomed flash of fire in the freezing night. Her mouth waters at the delivious kill and she settles down to eat it.
With a full belly she sets off again and soon realizes she is on another wolf's territory. Despite this the haughty she-wolf raises her head higher and picks up her stride. Challenges were one thing she loved, yes, they kept her in mint confition mentally and physically. Shr began planning her strategies in her head, several brilliant ones already forming.
But then she realised it wasn't a fixture she wanted, it was information about what was going on. About some things she needed confirmed. Sending up a howl was tempting but she shook her head and just kept walking, taking no care to conceal herself.

(I am so hoping I'm not interrupting anything, please tell me if you want me to not post.)

Selene reached up with her free hand, and smoothed his hair. Her hand slid down his cheek gently, softly rubbing it with her thumb. She smiled at him, and answered. "I am only slightly tired. I don't sleep much in wolf form. Too many noises.", she laughed. In the midst of her happiness, she sat up sharply, and quickly, growling at the sound of a howl. "Are you kidding me?", she stood up and pulled her hand away from Paul's and walking towards the door. Her eyes narrowed, and changed into her wolf form's. Selene walked to the door, opening it wide, and letting out a loud, throaty growl, the hair's on the back of her neck standing on edge. She sniffed at the air, her nose changing slightly. "Mmm...", she said with an evil grin. "Another female." She became even angrier now. Selene wasn't very fond of females, especially ones that were also wolves. But, she sniffed again, catching another scent from the female. She wasn't just a wolf, no, not a pure one anyway. A shape-shifter. Cocky bastards., she thought to herself.

The other wolf had caught the she-wolf's scent and a sense of satisfaction came when she heard the growl. The roan wolf let out the howl she had been dying to let out and decided to play a game with the other wolf, she turned into a falcon and flew to the other side og the forest. Turning back to a wolf she let out a howl. Repeating this process several times she finally stood in the trees behind the white wolf and turned into s girl. She looked around seventeen with brownish-reddish hair that's messily tossed to one side. Her lips are a glosdy red and she had a devious glare. "How sweet, you have a little boyfriend, a good one too."

"Selene! Behind you!" Paul yelled. He had followed her, thinking he was staying far enough behind to avoid detection by whatever it was that had Selene on edge. He began to run, closing the distance between himself and the threat to Selene. It began mid-stride once more, he transformation into a wolf rippled from the tips of the fingers on his right hand. More than half way to the threat, down to his waist is fully wolf-like. He sprung to the right, and then lunged toward the shape-shifter, this way he would avoid smacking into Selene. He heard what the shape-shifter had said, and it was highly irratating.
As he completed his transformation, he utter a defensive, almost territorial, growl, a warning that he would kill to protect himself and Selene. The threat was in a human form, but a threat none the less. His body pulsed with adrenaline, and knew that if he let Selene be harmed or, god forbid, killed, he would never forgive himself. He would first kill the shape-shifter in vengeance.

The shape-shifter's laugh filled the air and mixed with the growls of the wolves. "Aw, how cute. The wittle bitty Alpha female can't fight her own battles...." She let out another laugh and watched the neck fur bristle to amazing height.
"So what are you going to do? Kill me? Ha, I'd like to see you try. And if you did, that would be dishonorable." the bold she-wolf walked up to the other wolves and patted the female on the head childishly and tauntingly. The female tried to bite her but her jaws went through the she-wolf The female tried again and again but it didn't work. A smile crept onto the face of the she-wolf, more of a smirk actually. "I never said I was in human form, now, do you wanna battle because if the answer is yes than I'll turn to a wolf."

Paul glared as the shapeshifter patted Selene on her head, and growled at the woman shapeshifter as he walked to Selene's side. His nails dug into the ground and he became immersed in the mentality of the wolf, and gave another warning growl. He wasn't going to let this thing harm Selene. He embraced not just the wolf, but a new nature. 'I never want to be with anyone else, I won't let anyone harm her. I will protect this land, our land. Selene said she would choose me as an alpha, I have every right!' Paul yelled in his head. He embraced the strength of an alpha, and could feel it in every muscle. He stood tall and glared right into the shapeshifter's eyes. He would not back down, not so long as there was a threat. He was making the challenge to this arrogant being who, in his opinion was no better than the vampires in their camp by the waterfall. Either the shapeshifter would back down, or she would die.

"If you want me gone I can fight you guys, but should I know any rules? Call me Sirona." Sirona stepped back and turned into the fiery wolf. "Don't worry, I don't have fire...sadly." the bitter wind seemed to avoid her though so Sirona didn't know if she was lying. "If you prefer to go away unharmed I can offer you a challenge,"

Paul growls in fury, this thing was telling the two of them to leave when he and Selene already had a claim to the land. He knew that this would end in bloodshed, and he would not be the one to die. The fires of hell itself are burning in the furious glare Paul was giving the intruder, and nothing short of its submission would calm the anger he currently felt. His muscles tensed preparing to attack the shapeshifter, while simultaneously being on the defensive, watching for its first move against him or Selene. When it shifted to its wolf form, that was the opportunity for him to strike. He lunged at the shapeshifter and clawed its face, then leapt back, snarling at the intruder as if challenging her to try to stake a claim in the land that Paul and Selene claimed as a pack.

"Ok, I'm guessing no rules then?" Sirona said maliciously. She turned into a falcon and struck at Paul, clawing his face. As her claws met she could feel his anger and wanted to laugh, had she been in human form. Then she perched on a tree directly above their heads.

Paul's jaw snapped shut when the shapeshifter clawed at him in her falcon form, and as she retreated he spit out a mouthful of feathers. He snorted out a sound that resembled a chuckle. Arrogance shall be her downfall if she doesn't be careful. He felt where the claws cut near his right ear, however it was a glancing blow compared to prior injures he had recieved. This wound would not stop him, not by a long shot, nor did the fact that the shapeshifter flee to a tree discourage him. In fact, it seemed to be a cowardly act, flying to a place that he could not reach, so as far as he was concerned he won.

Paul snorted and trotted back to Selene and then glared at the shapeshifter sitting in the tree, and snorted. At least when he ran from the vampires earlier he was getting out of the town and was going to to fight the vampires when he turned into a wolf. The shapeshifter was cowardly by flying to a branch far above them. He began to shift back to his human form and snorted again, scratching Selene behind her ears. "Come on, Selene, this one is not even worth our time. Besides there are bigger concerns to deal with. When dealing with the other werewolf today, I thought I smelled some vampires by the waterfall, not enough to be able to defeat us, not yet. Let's get sleep and deal with them in the morning, before they try to call reinforcements."

Selene stood still, keeping her ground. There was no way she would be forced to run from a bitty shape-shifter. She growled, baring her fangs, a snarl ripping through her jaws. She howled and barked at the tiger that stood before them. NO!, screamed her mind. I will never back down! She stepped forward, standing up taller, smirking in her mind as the big cat stood in front of her. "You're a coward.", she said in a human voice, obviously pissed off. "And I will not take your shit.", she stepped closer, her hair on her neck and back sticking straight up. When Paul touched her head, she nudged him away. Selene knew exactly what the shape-shifter wanted, and she would NOT let it happen.

Sirona closed her eyes and gingerly licked a paw, almost oblivious to the wolves circling her. Yes, they looked fierce and dangerous but again, Sirona had a whole plan worked out. They could do anything and it would never turn the tables, she had already dealt her cards. "A coward? Would a coward still be here? No, that is not what i am, I am simply frustrating." The tigress didn't even open an eye as she spoke. Clearly she was arrogant but again, she had a plan.

Paul was going to persue the attack of the shapeshifter, however, the close and sudden hiss of vampires, a large number of them maybe ten or more, no less than 80 meters away to the north, startled him. They were all in danger if they fought each other right now. He shifted to his wolf form and dashed to Selene's side once more. Even the shapeshifter would need to be cautious around this many enemies. The army was already called, and they were trying to fight Selene and him. His fur stood on end, as he growled in anger at the situation. An army of vampires in Blackwood would require more in the pack to defend it.

Paul growled and snarled as the first vampire walked into view, and then a second and a third. He snarled, and stepped between Selene and the vampires, knowing well enough that there would be bloodshed. "Selene, we have company, and it's more dangerous than the the shapeshifter. Heck even the shapeshifter might have trouble." he snarled.

Selene growled at the shapeshifter. "You aren't frustrating, you are simply irritating and even more so obnoxious trying to enter our land, my land. You have some nerve." She finished her statement, and her tail swished slowly behind her. Her bright white fur stood out in the darkness around her, even more so then the shapeshifter's fiery appearance. Selene twisted her head in the direction of the disturbing vampire scent, and her nose wrinkled. She glanced sideways at the shapeshifter, beginning to lose interest because of the new intruders. She stepped forward her ears twitching from the sound of footsteps. She looked over at Paul, who seemed to be bracing himself for attack. She dared to walk up beside her Alpha, but she did so, taking her place at his right flank. She kept glancing sideways, watching the shapeshifter as she looked on.

Sirona looked at the vampires and then dismissed them immediately. They knew who she was so she was in no danger. "Huh, I guess I don't have to move." she went back to grooming herself and then stopped to watch the fight. The white wolf walked up next to the brute as they stood, shoulder hair raised so tall it must have been against some hair height law. They snarled at the vampires with much ferocity that if Sirona didn't have faith in herself it would have sent shivers down her spine. "Irritating, infuriating, it's all the same." Sirona was struggling to decide whether to intervene, if she should say something to either side, or perhaps even join in.

Paul snarled, the shapeshifter is definitely going to die now. His muscles rippled with the fury that overtook his body. His father had given him something before they parted ways, a stone, energy rolling off of it. He was never told why he was given the stone, but he had a feeling it would be important now. He was told by his mother about the abilities that has flowed through her and Paul's father's bloodlines. They talked to him privately, about it before the attack on his hometown. His mother showed her ability, she was a sorcerress, his father was a shapeshifter which is where he derives his ability from. He had to pray that he inherited some of his mother's ability, something to level the playing field.

He lunged at the closest vampire and he ripped its head off before it could react. He leapt on the next and its neck snapped upon hitting the tree behind it. He felt a vampire leap on him, but Paul launches it off and grabs its neck, flinging it into another vampire. His anger flared as his eyes fell on the shapeshifter. He let out a growl and took a step toward the monster that would be so presumptuous as to walk onto land that is not hers, and then threaten them. As he did the air around him hummed with energy unparalleled. On the next step, a bolt of energy lashed out at the shapeshifter, skimming it's chest, but leaving a bald spot along the strip of skin it hit. He howled a territorial howl, a warning to the shapeshifter and the remaining vampires.

"That wasn't very nice." Sirona felt a growl bubbling in her chest like the fire temptingly danced from her paws and ached to be launched at the brute. Should she dare to show him her true form? Seeing it would instantly kill him if he was normal, besides his turning to human ability, but something told her that he wasn't normal, at any rate.
Instead she changed form, to a one she had never done before. It was but a simple, tall girl with long light pink hair that sweeped over eyes and went down in layers. Her lips were the same color as her hair but slightly darker and she hadlight blue eyes that crackled with electricity.

Sirona struggled to not immediately zap the wolf with a bolt of light-fire. Instead she sent out a wave of light that sent everyone but she and the brute back a few feet and created a barrier. "Magic, huh?" Sirona's lips lifted slightly in a scowl but she kept her expression straight.

Paul whipped himself onto his rear legs and shifted back into his human form. "Yeah, its a new one for me." He responded, gritting his teeth. He rubbed his fists and crouched on his haunches, and forced himself to breathe, to think. "Why are you here?" Paul asked, glaring with anger at the shapeshifter. He buried the tips of his fingers into the fresh dirt that was loosened from the fighting and rain, focusing on the magic he had used only a minute before. He could sense the path of energy left from the magic he cast, and followed it mentally. He glared at the shapeshifter for a moment and then stood straight up, and glancing at the barrier, and almost arrogantly touched it with his left hand. It was warm and uncomfortable, but did not harm him. It didn't allow him to leave, but it didn't harm him. He pulled his hand away, having noticed that nothing positive or negative would come of staying in contact with it unnecessarily. He walked back and forth along the edge of the barrier, searching for a weakness of some sort. "You better have a good reason for being here, or I'll demolish this barrier and tear your precious allies apart while my friend out there tears your head off." Paul snarled, his nails already growing into claws and his teeth and snout also growing in size slightly. He knew that no magic can hold forever with a split concentration, even without being told.

"They aren't my allies, they just know me and my mission." Sirona said as she paced back and forth. "As of why I'm here, I just happened to pass by while on my way to work and was looking for something. It has to do with classified stuff. I have many names, my main one being Sy, but the vamps know me as Ab Initio." The brute, now a human, stayed stone-faced but generally interested in the barrier. Sirona twisted a string of hair before talking again. "No, I will not kill you, it is against the law of Honorare Pact, now tell me what you want to hear from me." she turned to the man, now finished with her lecture.

Paul was now interested in the shapeshifter, mainly what she said. "I would be no more content, than if you promised that once you found what it is you are looking for, so long as it isn't me, Selene, or the house where we live, that you would leave. I am simply defending my land from intruders, so it would be wise to find what you are looking for and leave as quickly as possible." Paul stared cautiously at the shapeshifter. "Vampires, however are entirely unwelcome. Selene and I will kill them regardless of any deal we have with you. If they hold any importance to you, you should warn them."